Everyone Has A Skeleton In Their Closet
by kphillips
Summary: Mulder is shocked to find out that Scully has kept an important secret from him all these years. Not only does this secret threaten their relationship, but it threaten their lives as well. Completed - please R&R!
1. Who's The Blonde Stranger?

Everyone Has A Skeleton Or Two In Their Closet  
  
Disclaimer: I know they don't belong to me. Please don't get mad at me for playing with them.  
  
Rating: I doubt that this will get any higher than a PG-13  
  
Archive: Sure just let me know (xfstories@yahoo.com)  
  
Feedback: Love it - it keeps me inspired  
  
Keywords: MSR and perhaps some Scully/other romance too  
  
Summary: Mulder is shocked to find out that Scully has kept a very important fact about her life secret from him for all these years. Will this secret make the closer or be what finally tears them apart.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Who's The Blonde Stranger - chapter one  
  
Mulder sat at his desk tapping his pencil nervously. He was hungry. He was beyond hungry. He was famished.  
  
"Where is that Scully?" he said to himself "how long could it possibly take to get a couple of orders of lo mien?"  
  
He was getting so antsy for his food that he was about to get up and start pacing around the room when he heard footsteps coming down the hall.  
  
"Finally" he thought and he spun his chair around ready to tease Scully about her lack of speed when it came to delivering food when he saw that someone else was standing in the doorway.  
  
It was a blonde man. He was about Mulder's height and build. His hair was a bit longer than deemed necessary in most professions so Mulder assumed him to be a teacher or an artist. He was a good looking man who carried himself in a confident but no egotistical manner.  
  
Mulder stopped his automatic profiling of the man to ask "Hi, can I help you with something?"  
  
The man appraised Mulder quickly than smiled. "Yes, I am looking for Dana Scully." He appeared to be looking around for some evidence of arriving at the correct place, that indeed Scully worked here "This is her office, right?"  
  
"Yes, yes it is." Mulder said rising to his feet and extending his hand. "I am Special Agent Fox Mulder, her partner, is there something I can help you with?"  
  
The man looked him over again and noticed the slight apprehension in Mulder's appearance. "No, I don't think you can. This is more of a personal call. I am in town for a spell and walking by your offices remembered that Dana worked here. Thought I would stop by and surprise her."  
  
"Oh so you are an old friend of hers" Mulder felt a small twinge in the pit of his stomach. He made himself believe that it was on his hunger acting up. Why did this man's mere presence seem to bother him so much.  
  
"Yes, we go way back. Went to school together."  
  
"Really?" Mulder was going to start his subtle interrogation of the man when he once again heard footsteps. This time for sure it would be Scully.  
  
"Mulder, I know what you are going to say but it really isn't my fault. The line there was almost out the door and." Scully stopped short when she entered the room enough to see that Mulder wasn't alone.  
  
"Dave?" she said immediately putting the food down on the desk.  
  
"Surprise!" Dave said as he walked over and gave the silent Scully a peck on the cheek.  
  
Mulder could have sworn that she blushed ever so slightly in response and was dying to find out exactly who the Dave fellow was.  
  
Dave looked at her a minute and then swept her into his arms in a deep passionate kiss that had Mulder seeing seething within second.  
  
Mulder tried to avert his eyes but couldn't. Finally Dave ended the kiss and looked at a very flushed Scully.  
  
"Now that, my dear Red, is the proper way to greet your favorite ex- husband."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note: so what do you think? Any thoughts on how Scully should react to her ex husband coming back into her life? 


	2. I Can't Believe What I Just Heard

I Can't Believe What I Just Heard - chapter two  
  
Mulder almost could hear the sound of his jaw dropping as Dave finally separated himself from Scully.  
  
Scully meanwhile still seemed to be blushing but was staring at something very important down around the area of her shoes.  
  
"Sorry to be so rude Fox" Dave said turning to Mulder and giving him a dazzling smile "I never really did introduce myself. I am Dave Gaines."  
  
Mulder barely thought while he acknowledged Dave he did manage however to mutter something about being late for a meeting and got himself out of the room as quickly as possible.  
  
Dave was puzzled by Mulder's obvious retreat and turned to Scully who had gotten over her initial shock and was now glaring at him. "What's bugging him Red? He almost seemed jealous. hey, are you and he"  
  
"No we're not" Scully snapped at him. "You just surprised him, that's all. I never told him that I was married."  
  
Dave gathered her in his arms again and looked down at her "Still trying to make believe that the whole thing didn't happen Red?" He tilted her chin up and looked down at her confused eyes "But it did happen. And you know and I know what happened was pure magic."  
  
"Pure magic that wasn't meant to be" Scully said pushing him away.  
  
"You are right. The timing wasn't right, but who says it can't be right now?"  
  
"Dave, I don't think that."  
  
"Red that is your problem. You think too much. Why can't you just feel?"  
  
"Be serious Dave, what do you expect me to feel? I mean you just waltz in here like it was only last weeks since I have seen you and not years. I have a whole new life now."  
  
"And you don't want me to be part of it? Not even for a drink or two maybe dinner?"  
  
"Let me sleep on it Dave"  
  
"Dana Scully will you ever do something on a whim?" he handed her a business card "call my cell when you decided you want to see me."  
  
"When? Not if?"  
  
"Oh you will see me Red, it is just a matter of when." He swooped down and gave her another long kiss. This time Scully felt herself tempted to give into the old feelings.  
  
"See" he said as he was walking out the door "I am getting to you already." And he was gone.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully sat down at the desk and looked at the boxes of Chinese food sitting in front of her. They were a bold reminder of her partner and his current absence.  
  
She had totally lost her appetite and tried to busy herself with paperwork killing time until Mulder decided to return to the office.  
  
The minutes turned into hours and it slowly dawned on Scully how much Dave's little surprise visit may have affected Mulder.  
  
Mulder's reaction was almost one of a jilted boyfriend or lover, although he was neither. He was Scully's partner and best friend but he was also something more.  
  
Exactly what that was even Scully didn't know for sure. She wasn't even sure that she really wanted to know. It was almost as if both she and Mulder were afraid to face what their relationship had evolved into.  
  
It seemed like now they would have to give it a closer look.  
  
That thought scared her.  
  
But not as much as Mulder turning away from her.  
  
She had tried to call both his cell and his apartment only to be greeted by his voice mail. She would have to face him in person.  
  
Scully glanced up at the clock and noticed it was getting close to 5pm. She quickly decided she would go home, change, pick up some dinner and wine and then head over to Mulder's apartment.  
  
If she was going to be up half the night explaining her life to him, she might as well make the best of it.  
  
She got up from the desk, smoothed her suit and got ready to leave. Before she did, she threw the Chinese food in the trash and stuck Dave's card in her pocket.  
  
Just in case.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note: Well? What do you think? I haven't really figured out exactly what I want to do with this story yet and would love to hear your ideas. 


	3. You Can Run But You Can't Hide

You Can Run But You Can't Hide - chapter three  
  
Mulder paused on the steps leading up to his apartment. He was bent over breathing heavily - trying somewhat unsuccessfully to catch his breath.  
  
He was pretty ashamed of himself. First he had reacted to Scully's ex- husband like a total jerk - he might as well been in high school.  
  
Then, to make matters worse, he was too scared to return to work. He knew he would have to face Scully sooner or later but he just couldn't bring himself to go back to the office.  
  
He went back to his apartment, sulked for awhile and then tried to run his feelings away.  
  
He ran and ran and ran some more. He had no idea how long he had run or how long he had been gone. He had hoped that the running would help him understand himself and his feelings for Scully.  
  
It hadn't.  
  
Walking into the building and heading towards the elevator Mulder realized that he really had no clue what his feelings for Scully were.  
  
"Actually" he said to himself as he pushed the button for his floor "I think it is more likely that I don't want to admit them to myself."  
  
Shaking his head at his own cowardice he let himself into his apartment, drank a good quart of water and then headed for the shower.  
  
He put the water on good and hot and let it pound against his body. He tried to push Scully from his thoughts. He knew from past experience that if he chose to think of her in the private confines of his shower, he would end up having to relieve his frustrations himself.  
  
Mulder scrubbed himself quickly and managed to escape any erotic thoughts of Scully. He was way too disappointed in his own behavior to indulge himself.  
  
He pulled on a pair of ratty old shorts and poured himself a quick bowl of cereal before planting himself on the couch. With a bit of luck, he would be able to find a decent basketball game on to take his mind of his trouble.  
  
Mulder was just slurping down the last bit of milk in his cereal bowl when he heard a knock at the door. "Great" he said to himself looking at the clock and seeing it was only four thirty "I thought I would have a bit more time before Scully decided to come over." The knock sounded again and Mulder considered hiding out and hoping that she would go away. She wouldn't, he knew and it would be even more embarrassing for him to get caught hiding when she let herself in the door.  
  
So he rose and opened the door without looking through the peephole. He was surprised to find it was not Scully standing outside his door.  
  
It was Dave Gaines.  
  
"Hi" Dave said smiling his thousand watt smile "Sorry to pop over unannounced but I thought you and I might have a little chat."  
  
Seeing Mulder's hesitation he continued "I brought refreshments". He held up a bottle of vintage whiskey "Something to break the ice perhaps."  
  
Mulder was dying for a drink and was curious as to why Dave had sought him out.  
  
"Why not?" Mulder said stepping back to let Dave in.  
  
Dave walked into the room and gave it the quick once over. "So this is how your typical G-man bachelor lives, eh?"  
  
Mulder smiled a bit "I know it is not much, but it does fine for me."  
  
Dave nodded and looked a bit more around the room. He had to admit to himself to be relieved that there didn't seem to be any personal affects of Scully's lying about.  
  
"Have a seat"  
  
"Thanks. Got a couple of glasses?" Dave said sitting down on Mulder's couch.  
  
Mulder went to the kitchen to get a couple of glasses and sat down across the room from Dave. He wanted to be able to observe this man.  
  
Dave poured them a couple of stiff drinks and after passing Mulder a glass lifted his in a toast "To interesting lives and beautiful women"  
  
Mulder nodded his acknowledgement and downed the brown liquid. It felt like smooth fire as it went down his throat. It was exactly what he needed.  
  
"I imagine you are wondering why I looked you up Fox" Dave started "I am well aware of the close relationships that form between partners and I just thought it would be nice to get to know Dana's a bit more."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, I am in town doing some research and am hoping to spend some time with Dana. I think it would be easier for her if you and I got along."  
  
"Doing research for what?"  
  
"Oh yes, I suppose you wouldn't know" Dave got up and starting walking around the room. He strolled over to Mulder's bookcase where he selected a paperback and threw it down on the coffee table in front of him.  
  
"That's me. I am DK Gaines."  
  
Mulder looked a bit shocked. He wasn't sure what surprised him most. The fact that the best selling mystery-horror author was standing three feet away from him in his apartment or that Scully had actually been married to him.  
  
"I wanted to set my next book in Washington so I came down here to get a feel for the place and its people. By embedding myself here I am hoping to find the inspiration for my characters."  
  
"Any ideas on your plot yet?" Mulder said now fascinated.  
  
"I have a few ideas bouncing around but nothing too definite."  
  
Their conversation quickly switched from talk of Scully to talk of books, plots and the like. Dave kept pouring the whiskey and Mulder kept drinking it.  
  
Despite his greatest efforts, Mulder found himself liking Dave - a lot.  
  
After finishing a majority of the bottle, Dave rose to leave. It was getting close to six o'clock and Dave knew he had to get back to his hotel and make some notes on the ideas he had come up with during the day.  
  
Mulder walked him to the door and just before he left Dave asked him one last question. "Mulder, I assume you and Dana are close. I was just wondering if you would have any objection to my trying to pursue a romantic relationship with her. I am hoping to get another chance with her."  
  
Mulder stood there as his heart sank and his stomach tightened. In his heart of hearts he knew he should voice his objections but he just couldn't. Dave was a nice, relatively normal, very successful guy. Didn't Scully deserve that kind of life instead of the alien chasing, conspiracy filled life he offered her?  
  
Dave watched Mulder's fight within himself before he whispered 'no'. He simply nodded and headed down the hall wondering if Mulder had any idea how much he felt for his partner.  
  
Dave felt a bit bad for him since he sincerely liked Mulder, but as they say, all is fair in love and war.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: thanks for all the great feedback and ideas. Keep them coming! 


	4. The Birth Of A Story

The Birth Of A Story - chapter four  
  
Dave sat in the taxi thinking about Mulder and Scully all the way back to his hotel room. There was more than met the eye between them, anyone could see that.  
  
He wondered to himself if a story based on them and their bizarre relationship would be of interest to the general public. He often wrote romantic novels, as a change of scene from his mystery books, and made a mental note to start a journal on his observations of their relationship.  
  
"Who knows" he thought to himself and he entered his hotel room "Perhaps there are people out there who might find the dynamics of those two interesting. The hard part will be deciding if their characters ever get together by the end of the story."  
  
He smiled at the thought of pounding out that story but pushed it aside. He had to think about his mystery story now. He had seen enough today to give him an idea of how he wanted to start the story.  
  
The half a bottle of whiskey had only fueled his overactive imagination.  
  
He sat down at his computer and began to type. Nodding and smiling approval at his words as they appeared on the screen.  
  
"This is going to be a good one" he said to himself "it will definitely feel like it actually happened." 


	5. Mulder, What Have You Been Doing?

Mulder, What Have You Been Doing? - Chapter five  
  
Mulder sat on his couch with his head in his hands thinking about what Dave had just asked him. Once again he was disappointed in himself.  
  
He had the chance to defend his feelings for Scully and he had let it slip through his fingers. Now all he could do is watch as Dave courted and wooed and won Scully's heart.  
  
He picked up the bottle of whiskey and noticed that there was only about a ½ inch left at the bottle. He quickly downed it hoping that the smooth liquid would dull the pain he was feeling.  
  
He knew he was drunk and that in the morning he would feel like hell, but he didn't care.  
  
Mulder could have sworn he heard a knock on the door and slowly rose from the couch staggering and swaying his way over to the door. He flung it open and was surprised to see Scully standing in the doorway looking at him in a most peculiar way. In his drunken stupor he had forgotten that she would most likely appear to talk to him.  
  
"Mulder?" said slowly walking around him into the room.  
  
"Hiya Scully" Mulder said hoping that he words sounded clearer to her than they did to him.  
  
"Mulder, what's gotten in to you?" Scully answered her own question when she spotted the empty whiskey bottle sitting on the table. Immediately she felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Mulder alone this long.  
  
"Nothing but the best Scotch whiskey" Mulder said sitting down rather ungracefully on the couch.  
  
Scully took a seat next to Mulder on the couch and examined the empty bottle. "You drank this whole bottle by yourself"  
  
"No, he helped me"  
  
"He?"  
  
"You know, him. Your husband. He came by so we could have a little chat and he was kind enough to bring along this very nice bottle of whiskey."  
  
Scully frowned trying to think of what exactly Dave was up to by ambushing Mulder that way. Unless he had chanced a lot since she had last seen him, Dave could drink practically anyone under the table and had done so on many an occasion.  
  
Mulder saw Scully frowning and picked up her hand "Don't be mad at me Scully. I didn't mean to get so drunk. I just couldn't stand to think about it that's all."  
  
"It's okay Mulder" Scully said softly enjoying the feel of Mulder's hand in hers. "I am not mad. What was it exactly you couldn't stand."  
  
"Oh, I can't tell you that. It would ruin everything. I don't want to stand in your way although I warn you that I may cry at your wedding." Mulder actually looked like he was going to cry now.  
  
"Mulder, I am not really following what you are saying." she stopped when she saw Mulder's eyes open to the size of saucers.  
  
"Scully, would you do something for me" he asked looking strangely pale "will you let go on my hand. I think I need to go to the bathroom now - I am going to throw up."  
  
Scully dropped his hand and Mulder staggered as quickly as he could into his bathroom. He attempted to close the door but only managed to get it half closed. It was open enough so Scully had no trouble hearing him as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet several times.  
  
She shook her head wondering exactly what had transpired here and went into Mulder's kitchen to hunt for something to soothe his stomach. She settled on tea and set about filling the kettle and putting it on the stove to heat.  
  
She sat down at the small kitchen table avoiding the wretching sounds coming out of the bathroom and waiting for the water to boil. She took the time to think.  
  
It was no secret that Mulder often wore his feelings on his sleeve but this reaction was extreme even for him. What could have possibly upset him so much that he decided to drown his sorrows in whiskey? He didn't even like to drink -let alone drink whiskey.  
  
Was it possible that he was feeling more for her than she had suspected or was he just lulled into a drinking spree by the master of such diversions? She wanted answers but judging by the sounds emanating from the bathroom, it would be awhile before Mulder was in any shape to talk.  
  
The kettle's whistle blew drawing her out of her thoughts. She would stay with him tonight until he felt better and then force him to talk about it in the morning.  
  
She had tons of questions and she needed answers. Especially before deciding that to do about Dave.  
  
Scully had just finished making tea when Mulder weaved his way back into the living room. He was as pale as a ghost but his skin had lost its green tinge.  
  
Scully said nothing as he settled himself onto the couch. She simply poured him a cup of tea and then rose to get him a glass of water and some aspirin.  
  
After watching him down both, she sat next to him.  
  
"Scully, I am so sorry" Mulder whispered. "You shouldn't have seen all that."  
  
"Don't worry about it Mulder. It is not any worse than when you saw me covered with green slime and dirt."  
  
Mulder smiled weakly and took her hand and squeezed it. "I know its early and that you probably came over here to talk and not watch me vomit my insides out, but I really think I need to go to sleep now."  
  
Scully smiled and stood up so Mulder could swing his legs up on the couch. She covered him with a blanket and looked down at him brushing a stray hair away from his face.  
  
"Scully?" he started almost too embarrassed to ask the question  
  
"Of course, I'll stay" she answered for him. "I will crash in the bedroom. Just holler if you need me."  
  
Before Mulder could answer, he was fast asleep. +++++++++++++++++++++ end of chapter 


	6. Somebody Turn Down The Lights

Somebody Turn Down The Lights - Chapter Six  
  
Mulder's head felt like someone was using a jackhammer on it as he slowly opened his eyes and peered at the clock. It was 6am.  
  
"Wow" he thought to himself "I must have really tied one on." He sat up gingerly so the pounding in his head wouldn't get any louder and tried to remember exactly what happened the night before.  
  
He remembered Dave's arrival with the bottle of whiskey. Drinking the bottle of whiskey. Throwing up the bottle of whiskey. But there was something else. Something that he wasn't quite sure he wanted to remember.  
  
"Scully" he thought. Scully had arrived just in time to hear him try to turn his stomach inside out. "Great. Now she must think I am a total jerk."  
  
He put his head in his hands and tried to will the pounding to leave his head when he began to smell the most wonderful smell. Coffee.  
  
Scully was already up and busying herself in the kitchen. From the smell of it making coffee and toast.  
  
"No wonder she is such a good doctor. She knows just what her patients need."  
  
Scully walked into the living room carrying two cups of coffee and smiled when she saw Mulder was awake and somewhat functional.  
  
"Good morning"  
  
"Morning Scully" he gratefully accepted the coffee she was offering him and joked "You are an angel of mercy - will you stay here forever and take care of me?  
  
Scully joked back "In your dreams Mulder"  
  
Mulder sipped his coffee silently watching as Scully went back to the kitchen to fetch his toast and her bagel. It wasn't the first time that he asked himself how he had ever survived before she came along.  
  
"I know this is a dumb question Mulder, but how are you feeling?"  
  
"Like there is a construction crew in my head and that my tongue is wrapped in beach towels."  
  
"You drank an awful lot last night Mulder - it is probably just as well that you threw most of it up." "Yeah, I guess. I wonder how Dave is feeling today? He drank just as much, if not more than me."  
  
Scully smiled a bit. "If I know Dave, he is probably out jogging right around now. That man could put down more alcohol than anyone I have ever met and never show any signs of it the next day."  
  
"That's disgusting and totally unfair" Mulder said wondering if the toast would stay down in his stomach.  
  
They sat in silence for a little while before Scully got up the nerve to speak.  
  
"Mulder I owe you an apology. I should have told you about my marriage to Dave. It was wrong to keep something that important from you."  
  
"Scully, you don't HAVE to tell me anything. But I do like it when you share your past with me."  
  
Scully put down her coffee cup and went to look out the window. "It's a bit of a long story. Are you up to it now, or do you want to wait until you are feeling a bit better."  
  
"Now is fine"  
  
"Okay" Scully took a deep breath and began.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Sophomore Year Of College  
  
The professor teaching her English Lit class was matching up people to work on a major project covering the different aspects of the life and times of William Shakespeare. He was quickly proceeding down the list.  
  
"Dana Scully and Dave Gaines" he said before continuing down the list.  
  
Scully couldn't contain her excitement. She was lucky enough to be matched up with not only the best looking guy in her class but probably the most talented writer of the group too. Together they were pretty much assured to get an "A" on the project.  
  
After the bell had rung, Dave had quickly approached Scully and asked her when would be a good time to meet up to go over the project. It was decided they would meet at the local coffee house around 8 that evening.  
  
Scully worked on her outfit for ages before deciding on a simple pair of jeans and a sweater that was just a bit too tight. Her roommate assured her that it emphasized her curves in the most flattering of ways and for some reason that seemed very important tonight.  
  
Scully didn't normally worry too much about her appearance or what members of the opposite sex thought about her - she was too busy trying to get through college in the shortest amount of time with the best possible grade point average.  
  
There would be time for fun after her schooling was done she kept telling herself.  
  
But tonight was different. Tonight for some reason she wanted to impress Dave Gaines. She wasn't exactly sure why but she had felt a little quiver of something way down in the pit of her stomach when Dave had looked at her.  
  
Scully arrived at the coffee house a bit early only to find Dave already there. As was usually the case with him, he was surrounded by pretty girls who were busily vying for his attention.  
  
Once he spotted Scully, though, he broke away from the pack of girls and headed directly over to her.  
  
"Dana, you look very pretty tonight" he said taking her hand and leading her to a table in the back. Scully was glad that the coffee house was rather dark for she felt herself blushing first at his words and then at the touch of his hand.  
  
They sat at the table and ordered coffee. They talked briefly about the project and quickly decided who would do what. With the business of the evening done, Scully assumed that Dave would dismiss her in order to occupy himself with more beautiful girls.  
  
He did nothing of the sort. Instead he concentrated his considerable charms on her.  
  
Before the evening was done they were dancing ever-so-slowly and both enjoying how well they fit together.  
  
They stayed at the coffee house until just after midnight when Dave suggested they go for a walk. They held hands and walked and talked until the wee hours of the morning before Dave finally escorted her back to her dorm room.  
  
It was outside of her room that there lips met for the first time and Scully felt her heart melt. Finally she knew what it was like to be in love.  
  
To her surprise, Dave seemed to have the same feelings for her. They were together constantly spending all their free time talking, studying or making love in Dave's off-campus apartment.  
  
Within a month of their first date at the coffee house, they had both declared their undying love for the other.  
  
By that time, the spring semester was slowly starting to wind down and the thought of being apart was too much for either of them. Scully knew that she should take the summer to work and get some much needed job experience but she opted instead, against the wishes of her parents, to tour the country with Dave in his beat up old Volvo.  
  
Expenses would be no issue since Dave came from money so as soon as their last finals were completed, they threw their luggage in the back of the car and were on their way.  
  
They didn't make it very far that first night - settling into a beachside hotel in Maryland for a long night of lovemaking.  
  
It was there that Dave proposed and Scully accepted. Neither wanted to wait and since they were in Maryland anyway, decided to get married immediately.  
  
They were married the next day and spent their honeymoon driving around seeing the sights and experiencing the wide variety of cultures the country had to offer.  
  
They didn't tell their parents about their wedding - they decided to surprise them when they returned back home in August.  
  
August came and it was time to tell their parents what they had done and head back to school. It was not a surprise that neither set of parents was too happy about how the wedding had come about but after seeing how happy the two of them were together all was forgiven.  
  
Scully had moved into Dave's off-campus apartment and was ready to go out and buy her books for the semester when Dave told her the news.  
  
He didn't want to go back to school. He had been so inspired by what he had seen driving around the country that he wanted to take time off from school and settle down in an area and write about it and its people. Maybe in the form of non-fiction maybe as a novel.  
  
And he was expecting Scully, as his wife, to drop her schooling too and come with him.  
  
Scully was shocked when she heard of his plans. He knew how important her education was to her but still he wanted her to give it up.  
  
They talked about it, argued about it and ignored it until they both realized that something would have to give. One of them would have to give up their own dreams or their marriage would have to end.  
  
They spent the last weekend before classes began at the same beachside hotel where they had spent their wedding night. They walked along the beaches and made love until down.  
  
On the first day the dorms opened, Scully moved into her new room with her old roommate. Dave got into his Volvo and drove away.  
  
Two months later their marriage was annulled.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++ End of chapter 


	7. Thank You For Telling Me

I'm Glad You Told Me - Chapter 7  
  
Scully sighed to herself and continued to look out the window. She was glad to have told Mulder the truth about what had happened all those years ago but she was nervous too. Nervous about how Mulder would react.  
  
She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, that she didn't hear Mulder fumble his way over to her. She did, though, feel him wrap his arms around her from behind and lean his chin on her head.  
  
"Thanks Scully. I know that was hard for you."  
  
"It's okay Mulder. I am glad to have it all out in the open."  
  
"So what are you going to do about him?"  
  
Scully sighed again and leaned back a bit more into Mulder relishing the feeling of security just being with him brought her.  
  
"I have no idea. All of that was so long ago. We are both different people now with different careers. What about work? What about."  
  
"Us?"  
  
Mulder raised his head and slowly turned Scully to face him. "Scully, no matter what happens you will always have me. Our partnership and friendship means too much to both of us to let something like this come between us."  
  
"But, I thought that maybe you and I." Scully stopped to embarrassed to go on.  
  
Mulder lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "I don't know for sure where that is going either Scully. What I do know is that wherever it ends up going, I don't want you to have any doubts about what could have been with him. I think you need to answer that question first."  
  
Scully nodded and leaned her forehead onto his chest. Mulder was right even though she didn't want to admit it. She did still have feelings for Dave and until she figured out exactly what they were, she and Mulder could not move forward with their relationship.  
  
Mulder planted a kiss on Scully's head and pulled away.  
  
"I need to take a shower and get myself ready for work. I believe I have two days worth of paperwork to do now."  
  
Scully smiled. "Yeah, I guess I should head home and shower and change myself."  
  
Mulder walked her to the door and gave her another kiss on the cheek before she left. "Don't worry Scully. We'll be fine. We always are."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	8. Murder By The Book

Murder By The Book - Chapter eight  
  
Scully had to admit that she was pretty apprehensive when Dave called her first thing in the morning and asked her out to dinner. She still wasn't sure whether or not it was a good idea but figured it was the only way to find out.  
  
Her day at the office had gone by smoothly enough. Mulder arrived a bit late and looked a little bit under the weather but besides that seemed to be showing no side effects of his drinking binge the night before. He appetite returned with a vengeance and he managed to wolf down not only his huge roast beef sandwich at lunch, but half of Scully's tuna one as well.  
  
Things between them were the way it always was with him gently teasing her about this and that and her trying to shoot holes in his more bizarre theories.  
  
Before she knew it, it was time to head to the restaurant to meet Dave. She decided against changing and went directly from the office to the restaurant which was located only a few blocks from his hotel.  
  
Dave was waiting for her outside and smiled when he saw her approach. Scully couldn't help but notice that he actually looked relieved when he spotted her.  
  
"I guess I'm not the only one nervous about tonight" she thought to herself as she accepted his kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Hi Dana! I can't tell you how happy I am that you decided to join me tonight."  
  
Scully smiled and said nothing. "We have so much to catch up on" Dave continued. "I want to hear all about your family and your job at the FBI. It sounds pretty interesting."  
  
"It is" Scully said as she took his arm and he escorted her inside. "It truly is."  
  
Scully found herself enjoying Dave's company. She had forgotten what a great storyteller he was. He had her laughing at his accounts of his trips around the country researching for his books and how the locals reacted to him. He had her teary eyed when he told her of his mother long bout with cancer and how she had lost the battle just a few months before.  
  
Dave was shocked to hear of the deaths of Ahab and Melissa and grabbed her hand in sympathy when he realized that although both deaths had occurred years before, they both still affected her deeply.  
  
He kept holding her hand while she told him of her exploits with Mulder. She left out some of the more 'interesting' cases they had been on and instead focused on the more conventional ones. Dave was impressed with her stories and asked her question after question about being a law enforcement agent and how it felt to capture the bad guy.  
  
He noticed, too, that while Scully mentioned Mulder in her discussions of the various cases they had worked on together she never talked about him on a more personal level.  
  
"She is trying to protect him from me" he thought to himself. "I wonder why."  
  
He also wondered why she hadn't mentioned the drinking party Mulder and he had the night before. He didn't believe for a second that she didn't know all about it.  
  
Obviously she considered the subject of Mulder to be off limits. He would respect her on that - for now.  
  
Both Dave and Scully were surprised to find out that it was nearly 10pm by the time they had finished their coffee. They had both enjoyed themselves more than they had expected.  
  
"This was fun Dana" Dave said as he walked her to her car. "Do you think I could drag you out again sometime?"  
  
"I think I would like that." was her reply.  
  
They paused briefly at her car door not knowing exactly what to do next. Instead of bestowing Scully with another passionate kiss, Dave opted for a chaste peck on the cheek.  
  
"Good night Dana"  
  
"Good night"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
After his long evening talking with Scully about her exploits with the FBI, Dave felt truly inspired. He couldn't wait to get back to his hotel and start typing on his computer.  
  
The idea for his story was becoming clearer now. A bit more research and the central idea would be firm in his mind. Then all he had to do was figure out the minor details and get it all down on paper.  
  
"This is going to be a good one" he thought to himself. "Another best seller for sure."  
  
He began to type and didn't stop until the first signs of dawn appeared outside his window.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Well?" Mulder asked as soon as Scully had stepped into their office.  
  
"Good morning to you too Mulder"  
  
"You didn't answer my question"  
  
"I'm not sure what your question was?"  
  
"How did it go? Are you two engaged yet?"  
  
Scully was about to give Mulder one of her patented glares when she saw the look of nervous apprehension in his eyes. She decided to downplay the whole thing.  
  
"It went fine. All we did was have dinner together and catch up on all the news about the other's family."  
  
Mulder was about to continue his interrogation when his phone rang.  
  
"Mulder" he was silent for a moment "yes Sir, we will be right there."  
  
Mulder grabbed his suit jacket as was headed for the door. Scully was right behind him. She didn't even ask about the conversation - she knew it had been Skinner and that they had been summoned to his office.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Assistant Director Skinner greeted both agents with a nod and motioned for them to have a seat. When they did he began "Thank you for coming up so quickly agents."  
  
He waited for their acknowledgement then continued "there was a murder last night just outside of Georgetown. Pretty gruesome with some ritualistic aspects to it. I would like you both to take a look at the crime scene and Scully I would like you to look at the body."  
  
"Scully and I would be happy to Sir but, with all due respect, I am not quite sure why we are being assigned to this case. Should Violent Crimes be handling it?"  
  
"Normally I agree that they should but this case has a bit more of a twist to it."  
  
Scully raised her eyebrow and asked "How's that Sir?"  
  
"Well, apparently the young girl looked like and was killed exactly the way a character from one of DK Gaine's books was. He is giving a speech at Georgetown University tonight and it is thought that this killing might be in honor of him."  
  
Scully and Mulder exchanged glances while Skinner continued. "Mr. Gaines was contacted about the murder. He not only verified that the murder is definitely a copycat of the one in his book but he also specifically asked for you two to handle the case. He said he knew you both."  
  
Scully shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat. "Mr. Gaines and I went to college together for awhile Sir. He popped by our office to visit the other day."  
  
Skinner quickly wrapped up his description of the case and sent his two agents on their way.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note - so what do you all think? Like the way it's going? Let me know! Your feedback inspires me to keep writing. 


	9. How Can You Think That About Him?

How Can You Think That About Him? - Chapter Nine  
  
Mulder and Scully arrived at the crime scene about 30 minutes later. They immediately showed their ID's and went to look at the body.  
  
Scully bent over and slowly removed the tarp covering the body. A small gasp escaped from her when she saw the body.  
  
The woman was probably in her mid-twenties and was dressed to go out jogging. Her running outfit had left her midsection exposed. Whoever had killed her had taken the time to write on her with a blade of a knife.  
  
"You only get what you deserve" Mulder read the words out loud before recovering the girl.  
  
"You only get what you deserve" he repeated to himself. At one time or another, Mulder had read all of DK Gaines's books. He was just trying to tie the quote to a specific story.  
  
Scully stood and quietly watched her partner work this one clue over in his mind. She, too, had read some of Gaines's books but the quote did not jump out at her like it did to Mulder. She knew immediately when Mulder made the connection - recognition lit up his face.  
  
"Only The Good Die Young" he said to her. "That is the story." He stopped a minute and Scully looked at him questioning the odd look on his face. "There is something about that book that I just can't put my finger on right now."  
  
"Well done Fox"  
  
Scully and Mulder turned to see that Dave had come up behind them. "I imagine it would take the average person quite a while to figure out which book that had come from."  
  
"Dave, why are you here?" Scully asked while Mulder remained silent studying him.  
  
"The police called me down here to verify that this was a copycat killing. Since I was already down here, I asked if I could stay around and observe a bit."  
  
"That is usually against procedure" Scully started but Mulder cut her off with a smile.  
  
"True Scully, but Dave here isn't your average guy. Who is going to say 'no' to a best selling mystery author who wants to observe a crime scene in full swing? No doubt, everyone here is hoping to end up as a character in his next book." Dave laughed "You are right and they might."  
  
Mulder and Scully proceeded to talk about the crime with the officers who were first on the scene getting names of the witnesses etc whom they would want to talk to later.  
  
They then parted company with Scully taking the body with her to Quantico for the autopsy and Mulder working on the actual investigation.  
  
Dave thought about asking to join one of them, but then thought better of it. He already had enough background information to knock out another chapter or two of his book. He headed back to his hotel with his head swimming with ideas.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder spent the entire day looking at evidence and talking to the people who had found the body. At the end of the day, he had little for all his efforts except for the nagging feeling that he was missing something when it came to Gaines's book.  
  
He headed back to his apartment, took a quick shower and changed into his running clothes. Perhaps a quick run would help clear his mind enough to allow this random thought of his about the book to take hold.  
  
He was just leaving his apartment when he glanced down at his coffee table. On it was a couple of dirty glasses, a worn out porn magazine, a copy of the Lone Gunmen's newsletter and a paperback book. The book was upside down so he could not read the title. Quickly he picked it up and flipped it over.  
  
"Only The Good Die Young" by DK Gaines blared up at him.  
  
Mulder forgot about his run and sat down on his couch staring at the book in his hand. "I wonder" Mulder thought to himself "Could Dave possibly be a murderer? Or am I just reading way too much into this?"  
  
"One way or another, I need to talk to Scully" he thought grabbing his phone and dialing her cell phone.  
  
"Scully" the tired voice on the other end of the phone said.  
  
"Scully it's me"  
  
"I hope you had a more productive day than I did Mulder. The body was as clean as a whistle. Whoever killed this woman knew exactly what they were doing. We couldn't find any sort of evidence on her at all."  
  
"I wasn't any luckier." Mulder paused not sure if he should continue or not "Hey Scully, can you give me a time of death?"  
  
"Not precisely. I would estimate it to be between 11pm and 2am"  
  
"What time did you and Dave finished up last night?"  
  
"I don't know, around 10 or 10:15 - why do you ask?"  
  
Mulder quickly explained his theory to Scully who all but laughed at it. "Mulder, this is a stretch even for you. You've spent time with the man, how can you think that about him?"  
  
"I know I am probably way off base Scully, but I have to follow up any leads that I might have and so far this is all I've got."  
  
There was a moment of silence on the phone before Mulder continued "Scully, I think you and I should head over to Georgetown to see Dave's speech tonight. It may also attract the killer."  
  
"Okay, just let me get home and change first."  
  
"Oh and Scully?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Does he expect to see you tonight?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Good - that is probably just as well."  
  
"I'll pick you up at 7:30"  
  
As soon as Scully hung her phone Mulder dialed the Lone Gunmen. He would put them on the case of tracking down as much dirt on DK Gaines as possible.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note: so who should be the killer? Dave or someone who is a fan of his work trying to impersonate his characters?? I have some thoughts but would love to know what you think. 


	10. Did You Get Anything Out Of What He Said

Did You Get Anything Out Of What He Said? - chapter 10  
  
Scully and Mulder were lucky to find chairs in the back of the assembly hall. Apparently hearing the famous DK Gaines speak was the hot ticket around campus that night.  
  
After waiting about 10 minutes, Dave was introduced to the very enthusiastic crowd. He opened with a couple of jokes and then launched into what Mulder suspected was his 'normal' college circuit speech.  
  
Mulder listened very carefully when he discussed about developing characters and how it was exceedingly difficult to make his characters real. Sometimes he almost had to become the character before putting it on the page.  
  
At this comment, Mulder gave Scully a nudge and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. She just rolled her eyes at him.  
  
Dave sited four of his books as examples. The first book was "Only The Good Die Young" the same book that he had discovered in Mulder's apartment. Then he followed with "The Men of Steel", "Picture That" and "Don't They Always Get Their Man?"  
  
Mulder made a mental note of the four titles. He didn't own all of them, but was certain he would track them all down the following day.  
  
The standard speech was followed by a question and answer session. Mulder and Scully watched the members of the audience carefully during this time since the house lights were up. The room seemed to be full of only college students none of which stuck out to them as a possible murderer.  
  
Mulder and Scully left before the last question since they had seen enough. They hopped in Scully's car so she could take Mulder home.  
  
"Well, Mulder?" she said with a questioning smile  
  
"I must admit there was no smoking gun during that speech. I think though it would be a good idea to check out the four books Dave mentioned."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"If we are dealing with an obsessive fan, he or she may want to get Dave's attention by using the books he singled out tonight."  
  
Scully nodded her agreement. "That's a lot of reading Mulder, even for you. How about you take the first two and I'll take the second."  
  
"Sounds like a plan"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Dave wasn't too surprised when he spotted Scully in the back of the room during his speech. He pretty much expected her to be there. He was, however, a bit surprised to see Mulder with her.  
  
He had given this speech so many times in the past that he had no trouble spouting it off while casually observing the two of them.  
  
She had seemed to be genuinely interested in what he was saying. Mulder, on the other hand, had a look of extreme concentration on his face. Like he was trying to memorize every word of the speech.  
  
He mingled a while with some of the students who had hung around after the speech and surprised himself when he actually turned down several not-so- subtle attempts by young college co-eds to come on to him.  
  
He would wait he decided as he walked into his hotel room for Scully.  
  
Since he was thinking of her, he picked up the phone and gave her a call.  
  
A sleepy voice answered the phone "Scully"  
  
"Hi Red"  
  
"Hi"  
  
"Did you enjoy the speech?"  
  
"Yeah, how did you know we were there?"  
  
"You and Mulder didn't blend in too well - since you are both over 25"  
  
Scully laughed "I guess not"  
  
"I wish you had stayed around afterwards, I miss you."  
  
"Well, I had to give Mulder a ride back to his apartment and put in some work on some case files." she started  
  
Dave interrupted her "Since you worked so hard tonight, do you think you could play a little hooky tomorrow?"  
  
"I don't know, you did ask for me to work on that murder case you know" she said jokingly. "We still have a lot of legwork to do on it"  
  
"Please, I don't think I will be in town much longer than a week or so more and I really want to see the town through the eyes of someone who lives here. You could tell Mulder you are getting some background info on me."  
  
Dave was joking but Scully thought that Mulder might actually want her to do a little digging into the great DK Gaines.  
  
"Okay, I think I can sneak away around noontime. Is that enough hooky for you?"  
  
"Sure, I will pick you up at your apartment around one."  
  
Dave put down the phone knowing that by the end of the day tomorrow, Mulder would be toast as far as Scully was concerned.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: thanks for the feedback! It keeps me writing so keep it up. 


	11. All Around Town

All Around The Town - Chapter 11  
  
Mulder tried really hard to put a good face on the fact that Scully was taking half a day off to squire Dave all around Washington.  
  
He tried to convince himself that he had nothing to worry about and that it was just a good opportunity for Dave and Scully to catch up and for Scully to find out more about him.  
  
It didn't work. Mulder was miserable.  
  
Scully could tell that something was bothering Mulder but said nothing as she went over their notes from the night before. Mulder had gone out and gotten all four books in question and they both agreed to start reviewing them as soon as possible.  
  
Mulder had his nose in "The Men Of Steel" as Scully got ready to leave the office.  
  
"Well, I guess I am going" she said part of her hoping that Mulder would stop her.  
  
Mulder looked up from his book and Scully was taken by the sad look in his eyes "Hey, have a great time - just stay away from the alcohol"  
  
Scully smiled at the joke and left the room softly shutting the door behind her.  
  
Mulder sighed a deep sigh and tried to return to the book now sitting on his desk. He was scared that this was the beginning of the end between the special relationship between him and Scully.  
  
But he also knew that he had to let her go and just hope against all hope that she would come back.  
  
He shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from it and returned to his book.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Dave arrived right at one o'clock and escorted Scully downstairs to his waiting car. To her surprise, she found a Lincoln Towncar sitting in front of her building complete with driver.  
  
She gave Dave a puzzled look as she got into the car  
  
"Well, being a best selling author does have its perks" he said climbing in beside her "Is this okay or would you rather me get the stretch?"  
  
Scully started to mumble about the car being fine when she realized that he was just teasing her in an attempt to get her to relax.  
  
It worked and as they drove around Washington Scully found herself relaxing more and more.  
  
They went to all the usual tourist spots spending the most time at the Vietnam Memorial where Dave sought out the name of an uncle. They walked hand and hand around the reflecting ponds and even ventured up the Washington Monument.  
  
The only place they didn't go was the White House. Dave had been there for dinner during his last visit to Washington some six months before. He told Scully he would have looked her up then, but he had only been flown in for the dinner and had left early the next morning.  
  
They had supper in a romantic Italian restaurant in Georgetown. They ate pasta, drank wine but spoke very little. They were content to just be together.  
  
It felt like it had when they were together in college.  
  
Almost.  
  
As much as she tried to block him out of her thoughts, Mulder kept popping into them. "Wouldn't Mulder love this lasagna?" "Mulder would never let me drink three glasses of wine" and similar thoughts snuck in when she least expected them.  
  
If Dave noticed her being distracted on occasion he said nothing. He was no fool. He knew that Mulder was well entrenched in Scully's mind and he was bond and determined to dig up him and throw him out.  
  
It was almost ten when they finished their espressos and Dave's driver took them back to Scully's place. Scully led the way up the stairs while Dave passed the driver a 100 dollar bill and told him that he would beep him when he needed him.  
  
The driver said nothing and slipped back into the car driving quickly away before Scully had realized what Dave had done.  
  
He walked her back to her apartment, taking her keys from her and opening the door.  
  
"Would you like a nightcap?" she said not knowing exactly why she was making the offer  
  
"Sure"  
  
Dave settled himself in on Scully's couch and waited for her to return with the drinks. She came back instead wearing her jacket.  
  
"I am out of wine" she said "I am just going to run to the shop down the street to pick some up."  
  
"You will do no such thing" Dave said quickly rising "I'll go get it. Why don't you just slip into something more comfortable while I'm gone."  
  
He scooted out the door before she could tell him where the shop was. "He is a pretty intelligent man, he'll figure it out" she thought to himself. Then fear gripped her "Slip into something more comfortable? Like I have anything like that. Comfortable to me is an old t-shirt and sweats."  
  
Feeling a bit rebellious about Dave's comment to her, Scully went into her room and picked out her oldest t-shirt and grungiest sweats. She pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror.  
  
What she saw was a woman who looked more like she was about ready to clean toilets than entertain a handsome man.  
  
"You are such a chicken" she said out loud to herself before returning to her living room.  
  
She tried to get herself in a comfortable position where she wouldn't look as nervous as she was about Dave's pending arrival back at her apartment.  
  
"Where is he?" she thought to herself. "He should have been back by now."  
  
The minutes slowly passed and Scully had to restrain herself from either panicking or pacing the floor.  
  
Finally after close to 45 minutes Dave appeared in the doorway holding several bottles of wine and smiling sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry it took me so long. I started around the block in the wrong direction and then when I finally got there the clerk recognized my name from my credit card. He had to give me a summary of the novel he is working on. The only way I got out of there without reading it was by giving him my email address and telling him to send me the rough draft."  
  
He pulled a bottle out of the bag and began to open it. It was then that he fully took in Scully's attire.  
  
Instead of frowning at her choice of clothes he just smiled.  
  
"Dana, you are the only person I know that could make rags look so elegant"  
  
Scully felt herself blushing as she accepted the glass of wine he offered her.  
  
"To new beginnings"  
  
They gently touched glasses and Scully sipped her wine. She was glad she had let Dave go buy it. His budget allowed for a far superior wine.  
  
They drank in silence. Scully felt Dave's eyes upon her even as she stared at some spot on the floor.  
  
He gently took the glass from her hand and lifted up her chin. He paused a second before placing his lips on hers.  
  
It was not a kiss of passion but a kiss seeking approval or rejection.  
  
Sensing no rejection, he deepened the kiss and was relieved when Scully began to return it.  
  
Scully was suddenly overwhelmed by sensation. The guilt that had been dwelling in the back of her mind had been pushed away as she enjoyed the sensation of being with a man.  
  
It had been so long since she had been held like this and kissed like this. The fact that it was Dave just added to the excitement as memories of their passionate lovemaking came flooding back to her.  
  
Dave swept Scully up in his arms never breaking their kiss and slowly took her into the bedroom. He lay her gently on the bed and slowly began to undress her - exploring her body as he went.  
  
He was pleased to see that her body was as beautiful as ever as was her passion. He knew by morning she would be his again.  
  
Scully was marveling at the skill with which Dave was able to work his way down her body. She had forgotten that her body was capable of responding to the touch of another person.  
  
Dave sat Scully up to remove her top when Scully's phone began to ring.  
  
Dave cursed to himself and attached himself to her breast trying to distract her from the call. "Forget it" he muttered as he switched from right breast to left.  
  
Scully moaned her agreement and reached over to her answering machine to turn the volume down when Mulder's voice cut through the air.  
  
"Scully, it's me - are you there?"  
  
Scully froze in place. She knew that voice. Something was wrong.  
  
"Okay, I guess you are not there. There has been another murder. Down on 7th and Clark. I am heading down there right now. Meet me there as soon as you can."  
  
Mulder's words had even managed to stop Dave dead in his tracks. He looked on as Scully scrambled off the bed and frantically started looking for the appropriate clothes to wear.  
  
It was only after she was dressed that she seemed to notice that Dave was still sitting on the bed watching her. He should have been annoyed at her reaction but instead just smiled up at her.  
  
"I hope that you are as passionate about everything in your life as you are about your job"  
  
Scully smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss  
  
"I am so sorry Dave" she began before he cut her off  
  
"Don't worry about it. Go do your job. Go make the streets a safer place. I'll head back to my hotel. If you come over later and I will rub your feet draw you a bath and finish what we started here."  
  
Scully gave him another smile and was gone.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Dave picked up the phone and paged his driver. Within a half an hour he was in hotel room banging away at his computer keys.  
  
The ideas were flowing almost faster than he could type them and he had Scully to thank for it.  
  
He planned several interesting ways to show his thanks the next time he saw her.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 


	12. Not again!

Not Again - Chapter 12  
  
It took only a couple of seconds for Mulder to notice Scully's disheveled appearance. Scully's appearance was always immaculate even under the most trying of circumstances.  
  
He knew he had interrupted something. He really didn't want to think what it was.  
  
"Hi Scully. Thanks for getting over here so quickly."  
  
Scully felt the guilt creeping up on her again and started to say something then stopped herself. She suspected that Mulder knew what she had been up to and figured it was better to just leave well enough alone.  
  
"What have we got here Mulder?"  
  
"Another body and from first glance it looks like another copycat killing."  
  
"Great" Scully sighed as she followed Mulder over to the body. "Which book this time?"  
  
Mulder lifted the tarp and Scully winced at the parched body that lay beneath it. It was burned pretty badly and smelled even worse.  
  
"Unless I miss my guess, it is straight out of 'Men Of Steel'. The villain in the story likes to set his victims on fire using his blow torch. Not sure if a blow torch was used here but the result seems to be the same."  
  
Scully snapped on her latex gloves and poked at the body a bit and did a quick examination of the face. "Looks like the burns are mostly on the surface."  
  
Mulder agreed. "When you do the autopsy see if you can figure out what was used to light this guy on fire. Maybe the fuel or the device used to ignite it will give us a clue."  
  
"Got it." Scully rose to her feet.  
  
"Hey Scully, if the killer stays on track, we should expect him to do something from 'Picture This' within the next day or so."  
  
"I know, I am 100 pages into the book and nothing has jumped out at me yet. So far, the main character is only gathering pictures of different people who come into his life."  
  
"Keep reading and I will start on book number four."  
  
With that Scully signaled for the body to be removed and rode with it back to Quantico. In the ambulance she thought about both Mulder and Dave and wondered to herself how two such very different men could affect her so much.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully was correct about the victim's burns being basically only skin deep. Whatever was poured on the person burned very hot but burned out very quickly. She made a note to talk to the experts in the arson group in the morning and get their ideas on the subject.  
  
Unfortunately, like the first victim, this victim didn't reveal any clues to who his killer was. In fact, Scully thought it would take the checking of dental records to identify the body at all.  
  
Discouraged Scully glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost 3am. She thought briefly about Dave's offer and returning to his hotel but then decided against it.  
  
It was too late and she was definitely not in the mood for love. Her mind was racing as it tried to figure out the puzzle that lay on the autopsy table in front of her.  
  
There was really only one person who would understand and she knew he would still be awake.  
  
She hit the speed dial on her cell phone even as she told the orderly that she was done with the body for now.  
  
"Mulder"  
  
"Hey, it's me."  
  
The voice on the other end of the phone seemed to perk up a pick.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
"Not really. I want to talk to the guys in arson tomorrow. Maybe they can help us out a bit."  
  
"Good thought."  
  
Scully kept the phone to her ear as she stripped out of her hospital garb "How'd it go for you?" "Not much better I'm afraid. Still no witnesses."  
  
"Who found the body?"  
  
"A cop on regular patrol. Scully, can you give me a time of death."  
  
"Not exactly, but I would guess between 9:30 and 11 last night."  
  
"Scully, you are not going to want to hear what I am about to say..."  
  
"Mulder, he was with me the whole evening. Right up until I left to go to the crime scene."  
  
"Sorry Scully"  
  
"Don't worry about it"  
  
Mulder could hear the tension in her voice. "Hey Scully, I just finished up at police headquarters and was going to head out for some pancakes and coffee."  
  
Scully laughed "Pancakes? It's three in the morning!"  
  
"So I'm hungry, so kill me. Anyway, I just wanted to know if you would like to join me. I know you always are all keyed up after you do an autopsy. I could swing by and pick you up.."  
  
Scully thought a minute. Massages and sex with Dave or pancakes with Mulder? She definitely had some bizarre decisions to make in her life.  
  
"Actually, I am a bit hungry"  
  
"I'll be there in 20 minutes"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder and Scully sat in a booth at the all night diner down the street from the Quantico facility. It was a favorite haunt for FBI agents and there were always a few present no matter what time of day or night it was.  
  
After ordering his pancakes and her bran muffin they both sat back and savored the dark strong coffee the waitress automatically brought to them.  
  
Normally during these situations the two of them would be hashing out the case and often having quite a debate over some point or another. This time, however, Scully noticed how quiet her partner was being.  
  
She reached over and took his hand. "It's okay Mulder. You can ask me about him if you want to."  
  
"I'm not sure I want to know Scully."  
  
"Well, if it makes you feel any better there is really not much to tell. We spent the day touring the city had dinner and had pretty much returned to my apartment when I got your message."  
  
Mulder knew Scully was simplifying things for him and appreciated her efforts to spare his feelings. He wanted Scully to be happy, he really did, he just wished he could trust Dave a little bit more.  
  
"You know Mulder, if you are so sure that the killer will be picking a scene out of 'Picture This' for the next murder, why don't you pick Dave's brain and see what he can come up with."  
  
"I would do that Scully except." he paused a second not quite sure how to continue  
  
"Except that you consider him a suspect."  
  
"Yeah, I'm afraid I do."  
  
Scully nodded in silence and said nothing more about it since their food had arrived.  
  
They ate in silence with Scully once again amazed with how her partner could devour so much food and stay so slim.  
  
After their breakfast, Mulder dropped Scully back at her apartment and arranged to meet her at 10am in their office.  
  
Scully walked into her bedroom and removed her clothes. She thought about taking a shower but decided against it since she would just have to take another one in a manner of hours.  
  
She was about to turn off her light when she noticed her message light was flashing. She hit the play button and heard Dave's voice  
  
"Dana, I just wanted to tell you how much fun I had today and how I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams."  
  
Scully smiled and lay back against her pillows and slowly replayed the very long day she had just completed. Work, then playing tourist, a wonderful dinner and an even better romantic interlude before having to head back to work again. She had almost drifted off when she sat up in bed like a shot.  
  
"I can't believe I forgot" she said to herself "I wasn't with him all night. Damn, what if Mulder is right?"  
  
Scully tossed and turned until her alarm rang a mere four hours later.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Across town in the red light of a darkroom recently developed photos hung drying. The pictures were of a wide variety of people but two seemed to be the favorite subjects of the photographer.  
  
A couple usually photographed together but sometimes apart. A tall man with dark hair and a petite woman with red hair.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: With a little bit of luck, I will be able to get another chapter out tonight. Let me know what you think? Your feedback gets me back to typing quicker! 


	13. I Hope I'm Wrong

I Hope I'm Wrong - chapter 13  
  
Mulder was already settled into his work when Scully entered their office carrying two steaming cups of coffee.  
  
His look of gratitude was thanks enough as he silently grabbed a cup and sniffed in the aroma.  
  
"Scully, you are without a doubt an angel sent from heaven."  
  
"No Mulder, actually I am buttering you up so you won't say 'I told you so'"  
  
Mulder took a sip of his coffee and waited for her to continue.  
  
"I know it is only circumstantial and it probably doesn't mean a thing" she babbled "but last night when Dave and I got back to my apartment I was out of wine. He ran out to get some. He was gone almost an hour - said he got stuck talking to someone who recognized him in the liquor store."  
  
"What time was this Scully?"  
  
"I think a little after 10"  
  
Mulder thought in silence for awhile. The facts, as he knew them were that Scully and Dave returned to her apartment around ten. He was gone until around 11 - Mulder didn't call her about the murder until around midnight. He didn't want to think about what they were doing for that hour. he had to concentrate on circumstances around the crime not Scully's love life.  
  
"His story should be pretty easy to check out. Can you give him a call and set up an unofficial meeting with him to go over what he did last night? Then we can check out his story without getting the police involved. I doubt he would like the publicity."  
  
"I guess I can do that."  
  
Scully sipped her coffee but didn't reach for the phone. She couldn't bring herself to call him, not quite yet.  
  
"Would you rather I do it?"  
  
Scully knew that it would make her look weak and unprofessional but she didn't care. "Yeah, do you mind I just don't want him to think."  
  
"That you think he is a killer. I understand. No problem."  
  
Mulder glanced down at the number Scully gave him and quickly dialed the phone. Within a minute he was connected to Dave's room.  
  
"Dave, Fox Mulder here.. Fine, thanks and you? Dana? Oh she's fine. Dave as you may know by now, there has been another copycat killing. We were wondering if you could come down here to answer some unofficial questions. right.. That will be fine.. I will. Thanks"  
  
Mulder hung up the phone. "He will be here in about an hour and he told me to say hello to you for him."  
  
"Thanks"  
  
Scully spent the next hour on the phone with the arson team trying to pin down exactly what fuel was used to ignite the last victim. Mulder, meanwhile, was on the phone will the local PD trying to match missing person reports with the victim.  
  
Neither of them had much luck. They were discussing the facts of the case when Dave breezed into the room.  
  
He entered without them noticing at first so he was able to observe them interacting with each other. Mulder was leaning against Scully's desk trying very hard to get her to see his point of view about something. She was looking up at him with a look that was half amused and half annoyed.  
  
Dave decided they did, indeed, make a very interesting couple. As partners they offset each other perfectly.  
  
"Good morning" he said making both of them jump a bit "Am I interrupting something?" he walked over to Scully and gave her a small peck on the cheek. "You two seem to be having quite a discussion."  
  
"We also talk like that" Mulder said motioning him to take a seat at the small round table in the corner of the office. Dave sat with Mulder on one side of him and Scully on the other.  
  
"Dave, the circumstances around these murders are rather bizarre, to say the least" Mulder started "but since both murders copied scenes from your books we have to look at everyone who is intimately connected with them."  
  
Scully looked down obviously embarrassed by the situation but Dave just smiled at Mulder.  
  
"I totally understand Fox and don't worry I don't take it personally. I know you two are the best at what you do and I would hate for you to overlook a possible suspect just because of my personal relationship with you." Mulder forced a smile while being mad at himself for being charmed by the man he considered their number one suspect.  
  
"Dana tells me that you were gone from her apartment for close to an hour last night. This was right around the time of the murder and her apartment is only 10 blocks or so away."  
  
"If you say so, I am afraid I am not too familiar with the layout of the area"  
  
"Could you tell us exactly what transpired from the time you left Dana's apartment to the time you returned?"  
  
Before Dave could answer, Scully broke in "Dave, you know you don't have to answer any of these questions now. You can contact an attorney if you want to first."  
  
Dave took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Since I have nothing to hide, I have no problem talking to you now." He turned to Mulder and continued.  
  
"When Dana and I returned from dinner we were going to have a nightcap. Dana realized that she was out of wine and was going to run out to the store and get some. I told her that I would go and not very smartly headed off without getting specific directions as to where it was."  
  
"Basically I went left instead of going right and had to go around the entire block to get to the store. While in there I met a student who had gone to my lecture the other night. He was filled with questions about the story he was writing and actually wanted to me to wait while he ran back to his room to get a copy."  
  
"The only way I was able to escape was by giving him my email address and telling him to send me a copy. After that I returned to Dana's apartment - this time avoiding the long way around."  
  
Mulder wrote down a few things on his pad before addressing Dave again. "That story seems easy enough to check out. Did you pay for the wine with a credit card but any chance?"  
  
"Sorry, cash"  
  
"Well there should still be some sort of record of the sale down at the store. I will check it out later this afternoon."  
  
"That's okay Mulder, it's right by my house. I'll do it."  
  
"Are you sure Scully?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure"  
  
Dave sat back and listened to this exchange wondering if either of them realized that at times they spoke to each other like their was no one else in the room. He knew should have been jealous but he was too intrigued by the chemistry between these two vastly different individuals.  
  
"If there isn't anything else you need from me I would like to get back to my hotel. I am giving a speech this afternoon at the National Press Club and it still needs a little tweaking."  
  
"No I don't think we need anything else from you now." Mulder said standing up and offering Dave his hand "We appreciate you coming down and giving us a hand. If you think of anything else just give a call."  
  
Dave shook Mulder's hand and then bent down to give Scully another kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you later, okay?"  
  
"Sure"  
  
Scully stood up slowly and took a deep breath. Mulder came up behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders which felt like two pieces of lead. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, it was just kind of weird that's all. Part of me wants to believe what he says and part of me thinks that he is just charming the pants off of us and he has something to hide."  
  
Mulder laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way and I didn't even make kissy face with him last night."  
  
Scully gave Mulder a quick elbow to the stomach - laughing at him doubling over. "I won't even ask what you were doing last night"  
  
"Oh I was having my usually party with me, myself and I"  
  
"Spare me the details"  
  
"I'll spare you if you spare me"  
  
"Deal partner"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder went off to work with the forensic team while Scully headed down to the liquor store to find out more information about what had transpired the night before. Unfortunately the manager was out and the young kid behind the counter spoke very little English and could not or would not tell her anything about who was working the night before. She was told it was the manager's day off and to come back the next morning.  
  
Since she was so close to home she decided it was pointless to return to the office and instead lugged a large briefcase full of files up to her apartment.  
  
She spent the rest of the evening going over the files of the two cases and busily taking notes on what she and Mulder referred to as 'book #3'.  
  
Her stomach was starting to growl and she began toying with the idea of ordering in pizza when there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Mulder she walked to the door still holding Dave's book in her hand.  
  
She opened the door to find Dave not Mulder standing there. Standing there holding a bag of take out in his hand.  
  
"Surprise" he said holding up the bag "I am having drinks with a few people from Congress at eight but I was simply starving so I thought I would get us some food. Great book you're reading, by the way."  
  
Scully looked down at her hand and laughed. "Mandatory reading for us lowly FBI agents"  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
"Yes, I do. While I am reading it I keep thinking about your lecture and how you said you like to take your time developing your characters. I can really see it in this story."  
  
"Glad to hear you like it and" he gave her a quick kiss on the lips "even more importantly that you were paying attention during my lecture. Let's eat"  
  
Scully grabbed a couple of plates and they dove into the food. It was Indian and fabulous. They both ate until they could eat no more.  
  
"Great. Now I am going to be feeling fat and stupid at the cocktail party tonight" Dave said standing up and rubbing his stomach.  
  
"Then you will fit right in with the politicians" Scully said standing up and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him.  
  
"Thanks for dinner."  
  
Dave bent down and gave her a long, deep kiss. "You're welcome" he said after breaking off the kiss "I only wish I could stay for dessert." He glanced down at his watch and winced. "If I leave right now I will just have enough time to scoot back to the hotel room and change and get there fashionably late."  
  
Scully pouted as she walked him to the door causing him to smile "Happy reading Agent Scully. I have meetings during most of the day tomorrow but I will call you as soon as I get free."  
  
He gave her another quick kiss and was gone.  
  
Scully closed the door and leaned back against it. Her instincts were telling her that he was guilty and her heart was hoping she was wrong.  
  
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and went to the stove to put on a pot of tea. She had a lot of reading to do still.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The photographs had been cropped and sorted into neat stacks. The two largest stacks were of the brown haired man and the red headed woman.  
  
It was definitely going to be one of them. But which one?  
  
Obviously more pictures would have to be taken. Good thing there was a large telephoto lens available. Perfect for shooting pictures through living room windows.  
  
The final decision would be made before the night was through.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Both Mulder and Scully read late into the night. Neither of them noticed a person dressed in dark clothing pointing a camera at their windows.  
  
Neither of knew that by this time tomorrow night, one of them would have been chosen.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ end of chapter 


	14. Just Another Day On The Case

Just Another Day On The Case - chapter 14  
  
Scully dragged herself into the office in desperate need of coffee. She had stayed up way too late reading 'Picture This'. The book had really gripped her and she would have probably stayed up half the night reading it even if she didn't have to.  
  
The problem was that the book was nearly 800 pages long and she was barely 400 pages into it. So far no real clues on who the next victim would be.  
  
Mulder was not in the office when she arrived but he had left her a note. Picking it up, she glanced at it. Apparently Mulder was busily hunting down a small lead on what had been used as fuel on the second victim.  
  
It didn't seem much like a lead but it was more than they had so far.  
  
Scully sipped her coffee and mentally went over her to do list in her head. First line of order was to call the liquor store Dave went to the night of the second murder. She would have to wait a while for that since it didn't open until ten o'clock.  
  
In the mean time, she went through her mail and the stack of autopsy photographs that had arrived earlier that morning. She documented each photograph for the case file. She was so entrenched in her work that she didn't hear someone coming up behind her.  
  
She didn't see anyone but she smelt the bittersweet aroma of coffee. She closed her eyes and sniffed deeply "Mulder, you may have just saved my life" she said as she turned around.  
  
She blushed when she saw it was Dave standing there holding two cups of coffee. He only laughed at her. "Sorry"  
  
"Dana, you worry too much" he said. He walked around her desk and looked at the photographs all neatly stacked on her desk. "I had no idea that being an FBI agent involved so much paperwork."  
  
"This is nothing" Scully said accepting his peck on the cheek. "This is only the beginning. You should see what we have to do when then the case is finally done."  
  
"Why do I think that you are the one who does most of the paperwork in this partnership?" he said waving over at Mulder's relatively clean desk.  
  
Scully laughed "Don't worry, Mulder gets his fair share. So what brings you down to this next of the woods?"  
  
"I am meeting my agent for coffee in about a half hour, followed by a meeting with the publishers, followed by a meeting with someone - I forget who - followed by dinner with someone else my agent insists I meet while I am in town."  
  
"Busy day"  
  
"Yeah, so I thought I would just drop by to say a quick hello and see if you two have dug up any other suspects besides me?"  
  
Scully looked embarrassed, again "No, but Mulder is busily hunting down leads even as we speak. I imagine he will be out in the field most of the day. He has a pretty good nose for these things. Once he gets going he is pretty hard to stop."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"Paperwork and research, I'm afraid."  
  
"Well, I wish I could stay at help you file, but I really must run. My agent has a nasty temper when I stand her up." Dave bent down to give her another quick kiss. "I will call you later if I can, if not first thing tomorrow."  
  
"Okay" Scully said as she watched him leaving. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Dave was hiding something. She wished Mulder were around to confirm her gut feeling or to talk her out of it.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The fuel used on the second victim appeared to be butane - the same substance used in lighters. Mulder spent the day tracking down places where butane could be purchased in large enough amounts to be of use to an arsonist.  
  
The list wasn't too long and he methodically went through it and by the end of the day had a list of three companies which had made bulk sales in the past week. All three places were going to review their records and get back to him in the morning with a list of their customers.  
  
It wasn't much but it was a start.  
  
After spending the majority of the day doing that, Mulder decided against returning to the office deciding instead to read some of the fourth book and do some more research into DK Gaines on his computer at home.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shortly after ten, Scully called the liquor store and spoke briefly with the manager. He said that he would prefer to talk to her in person and asked her to stop by during the slow period of the day - around 2pm. Scully agreed and spent up to then finishing up her paperwork.  
  
She arrived at the liquor store right around 2pm and was greeted warmly by the manager. She showed him her identification and was immediately the recipient of a ten minute speech on how they never use illegal immigrants in the store. After about 5 minutes of her reassuring him that she had no connection with the immigration service, they finally got down to business.  
  
"We are doing an investigation and one of the men we are looking into claims to have been here around 10:30 two nights ago. He purchased some wine and then proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with another customer here. Is there any way you can verify the time of sale and the length of his visit?"  
  
The manager thought awhile before answering. "We do keep security cameras running all the time. We could look at those. We keep all tapes for 10 days before writing over them."  
  
"That would be perfect. When can I view them?"  
  
"We keep them offsite for security reasons but I can have them sent to you down at the FBI tomorrow morning."  
  
"Wonderful. What about the receipts - do you keep them here?"  
  
"Yes, they are in the back room. Unfortunately the clerks have a tendency to throw them all in a box when their shifts are done so finding a particular one may be a bit tricky."  
  
"I have plenty of time" Scully said following the manager into the back room.  
  
Scully realized that she needed all that time to wade through the mess that she found. Apparently the store was not fully computerized yet so the clerks just took the register receipts and dumped them into a large box whenever they changed the tapes.  
  
Sometimes the tapes were probably rolled up, tied with an elastic band and marked with the date - but most of the time they weren't.  
  
Some tapes had only one day's worth of business on it, others had several.  
  
Scully spent several hours sorting through tapes and found that on the day in question nearly sixty bottles of wine had been purchased. Since the receipts said nothing besides 'wine' on them, she would have to use the process of elimination to narrow them down.  
  
So into a large box Scully placed a copy of the wine price list - featuring over 250 different prices - the receipts she had found and the receipts she thought might also be from the day in question. The manager had no problem with her taking it all with her since no one ever really looked at them anyway.  
  
Scully hauled the box up the street to her apartment. It was nearly dinner time so she decided to order herself a small pizza, make a cup of tea and work on her reading assignment until the pizza arrived. After dinner she would work on the receipts again.  
  
Scully picked up the book and within minutes she was drawn back into the story again. So much so that she barely heard the knock of the pizza delivery boy and barely tasted the pizza as she nibbled on it while turning pages.  
  
The story was just getting into the juicy part. The murder was coming up soon she just knew it.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ end of chapter 14 


	15. The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens - chapter 15  
  
Scully could barely keep her eyes open. She looked at her clock and was amazed that it said 11:30 - she had been reading for hours. She made herself a promise that she would put the book down, no matter what, at the end of the chapter she was currently on.  
  
Her heart stopped when she read:  
  
It was time. He knew who his victim would be. He had no choice. It would have to be the man who hadn't trusted him. Who saw him as evil. He would take care of that problem. First he would remove his eyes so he could not see him at all, then he would move on to some of his more personal parts. When he was done with him, he may still be alive, but would no longer be a man.  
  
Scully's blood turned to ice. She knew who the next victim would be - Mulder. She grabbed her phone and dialed his number. The phone rang and rang - not even his answering machine picked up.  
  
Truly panicked now, she grabbed her weapon and her cell phone and frantically called Mulder as she raced out of her building.  
  
No one answered and she feared she would be too late.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder was exhausted after spending hours staring at his computer screen. He had come up with very little new information on DK Gaines. Dave may seem very friendly and easy going when you talk to him, but he kept his personal life locked up good and tight.  
  
Feeling he needed to rest his eyes, Mulder got up and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich. While in there, he thought he heard someone entering his apartment.  
  
"Probably Scully checking up on me" he thought to himself as he piled a little extra mayo on his sandwich.  
  
"Hey Scully, I thought you would be out on a hot date tonight" he said walking back into the living room. "What are you doing here?" was the only thing he was able to get out before everything went black.  
  
When Mulder came around he found himself securely tied up. Not only were his hands and feet tied together, but his hands had been positioned over his head and he feet secured to the coffee table. It would next to impossible for him to escape without help, so Mulder decided to try and talk his way out.  
  
"You are not going to get away with this you know. Scully won't let her personal feelings interfere with her investigation. She will have it figured out in no time and then your time will be over."  
  
"I am afraid your time will be over too."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
It was times like these that Scully wished that she had been issued a flashing light to move traffic out of her way. Even at this late hour the roads seemed to be filled with cars.  
  
Slow moving cars all of whom seemed to be bent on staying between her and her partner.  
  
Finally she arrived at Mulder's apartment. Luck was with her then when she found the elevator on the ground floor. She tapped her foot nervously as it rose and sprang through the doors as soon as they opened.  
  
She slowly went down the hall pulling out her weapon and hoping that she was overreacting and that in a few minutes Mulder would be laughing at her foolishness.  
  
Scully reached #42 and noticed that the door was ajar slightly. She counted to three and kicked the door open.  
  
There on the floor of the living room lay a bound and gagged Mulder. He had been slashed a couple of times already and the dark clothed figure, who was wearing a mask, was leaning over him ready to do some more surgery on his face or perhaps even his eyes.  
  
"Federal Agent - put down your weapon" Scully yelled assuming her shooting position.  
  
The figure stopped and looked at her briefly and then proceeded to bend down towards Mulder again.  
  
Scully took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. She caught him in the shoulder and sent him flying backwards. Before he knew what hit him, she had him cuffed.  
  
Scully put herself on autopilot not letting herself feel anything as she cuffed the suspect and went over to check on Mulder. If she let herself feel now, she knew she would totally loose it. There would be time for that later.  
  
Scully called for an ambulance as she took the gag off Mulder. He was barely conscious when she pulled his head onto her lap and began stroking it.  
  
"Scully" he said just above a whisper  
  
"Shhh, Mulder. It's alright. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you."  
  
Mulder smiled weakly at her and whispered "I told him you would figure it out and come. He didn't believe me."  
  
"Guess that proves that you know me better."  
  
Mulder thought about responding but gave in to his overwhelming need for sleep instead.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully stood outside of Mulder's hospital room talking to AD Skinner. She was obviously rattled by the whole situation and Skinner was doing his best to comfort her.  
  
"Scully you did a good job - you saved his life."  
  
"But if I wasn't so personally involved I may have seen it earlier"  
  
"You personal involvement led to a positive id on the suspect. Not even Mulder knew the name of Gaines's driver."  
  
"I know, I know, but I can't believe that I overlooked someone who right there under my nose."  
  
Skinner was about to comment when they heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was Dave and a woman coming down towards them.  
  
Skinner looked at Scully with raised eyebrows "Dave Gaines and I assume that is his agent" Scully whispered as they approached.  
  
All the emotions of the evening seemed to rush forward as Dave approached. Scully was about to throw herself into his arms and allow herself the good cry she had been putting off all evening when a little voice in her head held her back.  
  
Something about Dave was different. She couldn't put her finger right on what is was but it was there without a doubt.  
  
"I am probably overreacting" she scolded herself "after all he did just find out that his driver was a murderer."  
  
She pulled herself together and said "Dave, thank you for coming down."  
  
"My pleasure Dana. I hear you are quite the hero - how is he?"  
  
"He still hasn't really come around yet, but I think that is mainly due to all the pain medication they have been pumping into him. Your driver was pretty liberal with the knife."  
  
Dave nodded and they all stood in an uncomfortable silence until the woman beside Dave spoke up. "I guess in all the confusion Dave lost his manners. I am Amanda Gaines - Dave's wife. Dana I am so glad to finally meet you. Dave has been talking about you for years."  
  
Scully wasn't sure how she got through the next couple of minutes. She knew she acknowledged Amanda's comments and that at that point Skinner had managed to steer the conversation away from her onto a safer subject.  
  
Scully excused herself and went back into Mulder's room. She picked up his hand and refused to look out the window until she was sure Dave was gone.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
When Mulder woke up several hours later Scully was at his bedside sleeping quietly in a chair. He didn't wake her but instead just looked at her while she slept. She was his savior in more ways than one.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The next day Mulder was reading some of Scully's case notes when Dave walked into his hospital room.  
  
Mulder looked up at him and said nothing. Scully hadn't said a word to him about Dave's mysterious wife, but Skinner had.  
  
"Fox, I just wanted to stop by and thank you for taking on this case and solving it for me."  
  
"I would like to take the credit, but it was Scully who solved this case. I was busy barking up the wrong tree. Sorry about that."  
  
"Don't worry about it" Dave said sitting down in the chair next to the bed. "Fox I need to explain something to you. I would explain it to Dana but she hasn't returned my phone calls."  
  
"I wonder why"  
  
"Oh she has every right to be mad at me. I, myself, can't believe what I did. I never meant it to be like this."  
  
"Exactly how did you mean it to be?" Mulder said trying to keep the anger out of his voice.  
  
"As I told you when I arrived, I came to DC looking for story ideas. On a whim, I decided to look Dana up. She and I hadn't parted on the best of terms and I had often wondered what had happened to her so I popped into your office. Almost immediately a story idea popped into my head."  
  
"And what story was that?"  
  
"The story of two agents who worked together brilliantly, meant everything to each other but refused to see or acknowledge the love they felt for each other. As soon as I entered the room I felt your territorial protection of Dana. I thought it would be fun to rattle your cage a little bit to see what would happen."  
  
"My plan was to take Dana out a couple of times for old times sake and then make note of how the two of you handled it. I hadn't counted on being involved in a murder case but thought the opportunity to watch you two really work together would be invaluable."  
  
"So that is why you asked us to be assigned to the case?"  
  
"Partially but I also had done some digging around about the two of you, as agents. Your tactics may not always be conventional, but you always got results. I wanted results."  
  
"Everything was moving along until I realized that my feelings for Dana were beginning to raise their ugly head. I wanted her and when I realized that she wanted you more than me I couldn't stand it. I have always been incredibly competitive."  
  
"I went in for the kill and although I could feel her giving into to me, she was always holding something back. I assume that something was meant only for you."  
  
Mulder said nothing so Dave continued "When I noticed I was getting in too deep, I tried to pull back a bit. I even made up a lot bogus meetings so I could give myself some space. I was going to take the coward's way out and sneak out of town and write her when my wife arrived in town to surprise me. When she heard of your attack, she insisted that we head directly to the hospital to check on you ourselves."  
  
Mulder listened to everything Dave had to say and cursed himself for not being strong enough to take Dave outside and teach him a lesson or two. "So you used Scully to research your book. Do you realize what you did to her? You courted her knowing you were our number one suspect? Do you have any idea how that tore her up inside."  
  
"I didn't notice her acting any differently"  
  
"That's because you don't know her and I guess you never really did."  
  
The two men sat in silence for a while. Dave stood and looked down at Mulder "Would you please tell her I'm sorry."  
  
"Why don't you tell me yourself?" a quiet voice said from the doorway.  
  
"You heard it all?" Dave said sounding for the first time ashamed of what he had done.  
  
"I heard enough." Dave started to say something but she cut him off "Goodbye Dave."  
  
Dave knew enough to say anything else and quietly left the room.  
  
Scully walked over to Mulder and perched herself on the side of his bed. His was still scowling when she gently brushed the hair off his face.  
  
"Hey Mulder. What's with the face? Be careful or it may freeze like that?"  
  
"Sorry Scully but I am just so mad at him."  
  
"Forget him."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Forget him - I think he actually may have done us a favor."  
  
"A favor? Are you feeling alright Scully?"  
  
"I am feeling fine Mulder. What I mean is that without him, I don't know if I would have noticed just how good I have it with you."  
  
"With me?"  
  
"Yeah, Mulder with you."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Nine months later.  
  
Mulder took the copy of the New York Times Book Review section and handed it to Scully.  
  
"Look at page 27"  
  
Scully opened to the page and saw a lengthy review of the newest book by DK Gaines "A Tale Of Two Agents". She scanned it and read that it was what she feared a book based somewhat on her unique relationship with Mulder.  
  
"It got such great reviews I decided to go out and get a copy."  
  
"You didn't"  
  
"I did and guess to whom the book is dedicated?"  
  
"I don't think I want to know."  
  
Mulder flipped the book open to the dedication page and read "To DS and FM - my two favorite agents. Thanks for everything. In your honor, all proceeds from this book will be donated to the FBI spouses and children fund"  
  
Scully was silent. The dedication had moved her.  
  
"So how is it?"  
  
"Actually it is pretty good. She is smart and beautiful and he is tall, handsome somewhat quirky but a wonderful lover"  
  
"Wonderful lover?"  
  
"Did I say wonderful, I think I meant to say unbelievable"  
  
Scully laughed "Sounds promising. I wonder how it will end."  
  
"I don't know Scully, but I have an idea. Why don't we write our own ending and compare it to his?"  
  
Scully smiled "I have a few ideas"  
  
Mulder smiled back "So do I Scully, so do I" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
end  
  
Author's note: well that's all of it. Thanks to all of you who read the whole thing and a special thanks to those of you who gave me encouragement along the way. Would love to hear what ideas you have for our hero and heroine for the next story I write. 


End file.
